Sexing fish

hupababy83 · 08/01/2011, 11:41 AM

I know how to tell that my clowns are male and female, but what about my YWG? Or is it the same as clowns?

Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

wbdevers · 08/01/2011, 11:46 AM

Some fish can only be sexed internally by their organs, while others show differences in their cloacae. Still others, such as mandarins, exhibit sexually dimorphic characteristics and can be distinguished by visually inspection. I've never seen a YWG listed as male or female, so I imagine they do not show an outward sign of sex, but I could be wrong.

hupababy83 · 08/01/2011, 12:04 PM

So how so I get a mate for Mellow (my YWG) if I don't know his/her sex?

Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

wbdevers · 08/01/2011, 02:26 PM

I really don't know. I would start by researching if there are external traits that seperate the sexes especially on gobies in general. The problem is that if you could tell them apart easily then I'm sure you could buy them as either male or female. Trying to correctly id a cloaca (if they show on that species) on a small squirming fish would be tough to say the least.

hupababy83 · 08/01/2011, 11:27 PM

Well I just read that females maybe bigger and grey-ish, with a mature male having light grey stripes. Can anyone confirm this?

Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

hupababy83 · 08/01/2011, 11:28 PM

I read it in this thread http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...hman-goby.html

Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

TaNuki · 08/01/2011, 11:32 PM

Yellow watchmen goby is ywg yeah? The males get gray patches and larger. I have a pair and they are easyto tell apart.

hupababy83 · 08/02/2011, 10:41 AM

Tanuki do you by any chance have pictures of them?

Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

TaNuki · 08/02/2011, 11:16 AM

Not really. They are really hard for me to photograph. Basically the male (I believe) circles around their area flared out a lot and the female just sits there and lets him do his thing. The male is a little bigger though when I got them they were the same size. He is still yellow/ blue, but has a lot of gray on him now too. Both are eating and very healthy. If I can get pics I will let you know, but I am in the process of a tank move right now so we'll see. Everybody changes colors a little when stressed out from moving.

TaNuki · 08/02/2011, 11:18 AM

see how this one has the gray area on his back? He looks just like that.

hupababy83 · 08/02/2011, 11:30 AM

Yes I do see. Thank you so much Tanuki. You have been a great help. One more question, what age/size will YWG start show colors if he/she is a male?

Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

TaNuki · 08/02/2011, 11:34 AM

^Let me zip back in time to say I am not an expert on the YWG so I may be wrong about all of this, but mine started to show color when he was maybe 1.25 inches or so?

hupababy83 · 08/02/2011, 12:37 PM

Oh lol I understand your not an expert, but I still appreciate all your help so far. Mellow is about 1 1/2" and still bright yellow so I'm still confused

but way more informed.

Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

wbdevers · 08/02/2011, 12:40 PM

There you go--sexual dimorphism. Ain't nature great!

TaNuki · 08/02/2011, 12:50 PM

^You should see what happens to the anthias when they need a male haha.

hupababy83 · 08/02/2011, 01:41 PM

Ok you have my attention, what happens when they need a mate?

Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

TaNuki · 08/02/2011, 02:02 PM

When you have a group of female anthias (Blotched and Lyretail maybe others too?) and no male, one of the females will actually morph into the male of the group. My friend has 3 lyretails and he left to do summer sales this summer. His wife took care of the tank, and in the few months he was gone, one of the 3 females completely transformed into the male.

Here is a picture of the differences. It is crazy to see that kind of transformation!

hupababy83 · 08/02/2011, 04:45 PM

Oh Dang! Major morphing! Got to love these animals!

wbdevers · 08/02/2011, 10:52 PM

Same thing will happen in clowns only one will become the dominate female. It's called protagonistic hermaphroditism. Groupers do this as well.

reefjunkie42 · 08/02/2011, 10:56 PM

can anyone sex a dracula goby? I have 2 and 1 has darker stripes and is overall darker

hupababy83 · 08/03/2011, 09:43 AM

For what its worth (newbie here) all the reading I'm doing, about Sexing ny YWG, speculates that Dracula Goby may change sex. They buy a pair or three, and one changes in to male (or vice versa). BUT... I am just telling what I'm reading, I in no way claim to be an expert, just trying to help inform. Good luck with your awesome looking Goby. And if you do find a sure fire way to sex your Dracula, please come back and share it with us.

Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

08/01/2011, 11:41 AM	#1
hupababy83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern California, Humboldt County Posts: 262	Sexing fish I know how to tell that my clowns are male and female, but what about my YWG? Or is it the same as clowns? Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

08/01/2011, 11:46 AM	#2
wbdevers Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: MS Gulf Coast Posts: 754	Some fish can only be sexed internally by their organs, while others show differences in their cloacae. Still others, such as mandarins, exhibit sexually dimorphic characteristics and can be distinguished by visually inspection. I've never seen a YWG listed as male or female, so I imagine they do not show an outward sign of sex, but I could be wrong. __________________ Wes Beatings will continue until morale improves!!! "I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them."--Judge Smails Current Tank Info: 125g ML dual corner OF mixed reef, Custom stand and canopy, 40g custom sump, lighting (in flux :( )

08/01/2011, 02:26 PM	#4
wbdevers Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: MS Gulf Coast Posts: 754	I really don't know. I would start by researching if there are external traits that seperate the sexes especially on gobies in general. The problem is that if you could tell them apart easily then I'm sure you could buy them as either male or female. Trying to correctly id a cloaca (if they show on that species) on a small squirming fish would be tough to say the least. __________________ Wes Beatings will continue until morale improves!!! "I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them."--Judge Smails Current Tank Info: 125g ML dual corner OF mixed reef, Custom stand and canopy, 40g custom sump, lighting (in flux :( )

08/02/2011, 12:40 PM	#14
wbdevers Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: MS Gulf Coast Posts: 754	There you go--sexual dimorphism. Ain't nature great! __________________ Wes Beatings will continue until morale improves!!! "I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them."--Judge Smails Current Tank Info: 125g ML dual corner OF mixed reef, Custom stand and canopy, 40g custom sump, lighting (in flux :( )

08/02/2011, 10:52 PM	#19
wbdevers Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: MS Gulf Coast Posts: 754	Same thing will happen in clowns only one will become the dominate female. It's called protagonistic hermaphroditism. Groupers do this as well. __________________ Wes Beatings will continue until morale improves!!! "I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to do it. I felt I owed it to them."--Judge Smails Current Tank Info: 125g ML dual corner OF mixed reef, Custom stand and canopy, 40g custom sump, lighting (in flux :( )

08/01/2011, 12:04 PM	#3
hupababy83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern California, Humboldt County Posts: 262	So how so I get a mate for Mellow (my YWG) if I don't know his/her sex? Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

08/01/2011, 11:27 PM	#5
hupababy83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern California, Humboldt County Posts: 262	Well I just read that females maybe bigger and grey-ish, with a mature male having light grey stripes. Can anyone confirm this? Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

08/01/2011, 11:28 PM	#6
hupababy83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern California, Humboldt County Posts: 262	I read it in this thread http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...hman-goby.html Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

08/01/2011, 11:32 PM	#7
TaNuki Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 308	Yellow watchmen goby is ywg yeah? The males get gray patches and larger. I have a pair and they are easyto tell apart.

08/02/2011, 10:41 AM	#8
hupababy83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern California, Humboldt County Posts: 262	Tanuki do you by any chance have pictures of them? Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

08/02/2011, 11:16 AM	#9
TaNuki Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 308	Not really. They are really hard for me to photograph. Basically the male (I believe) circles around their area flared out a lot and the female just sits there and lets him do his thing. The male is a little bigger though when I got them they were the same size. He is still yellow/ blue, but has a lot of gray on him now too. Both are eating and very healthy. If I can get pics I will let you know, but I am in the process of a tank move right now so we'll see. Everybody changes colors a little when stressed out from moving.

08/02/2011, 11:18 AM	#10
TaNuki Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 308	see how this one has the gray area on his back? He looks just like that.

08/02/2011, 11:30 AM	#11
hupababy83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern California, Humboldt County Posts: 262	Yes I do see. Thank you so much Tanuki. You have been a great help. One more question, what age/size will YWG start show colors if he/she is a male? Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

08/02/2011, 11:34 AM	#12
TaNuki Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 308	^Let me zip back in time to say I am not an expert on the YWG so I may be wrong about all of this, but mine started to show color when he was maybe 1.25 inches or so?

08/02/2011, 12:37 PM	#13
hupababy83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern California, Humboldt County Posts: 262	Oh lol I understand your not an expert, but I still appreciate all your help so far. Mellow is about 1 1/2" and still bright yellow so I'm still confused but way more informed. Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

08/02/2011, 12:50 PM	#15
TaNuki Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 308	^You should see what happens to the anthias when they need a male haha.

08/02/2011, 01:41 PM	#16
hupababy83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern California, Humboldt County Posts: 262	Ok you have my attention, what happens when they need a mate? Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

08/02/2011, 02:02 PM	#17
TaNuki Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 308	When you have a group of female anthias (Blotched and Lyretail maybe others too?) and no male, one of the females will actually morph into the male of the group. My friend has 3 lyretails and he left to do summer sales this summer. His wife took care of the tank, and in the few months he was gone, one of the 3 females completely transformed into the male. Here is a picture of the differences. It is crazy to see that kind of transformation!

08/02/2011, 04:45 PM	#18
hupababy83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern California, Humboldt County Posts: 262	Oh Dang! Major morphing! Got to love these animals!

08/02/2011, 10:56 PM	#20
reefjunkie42 Wrasse junkie Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Buxton Posts: 2,148	can anyone sex a dracula goby? I have 2 and 1 has darker stripes and is overall darker __________________ Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in... Current Tank Info: 60g SPS reef

08/03/2011, 09:43 AM	#21
hupababy83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern California, Humboldt County Posts: 262	For what its worth (newbie here) all the reading I'm doing, about Sexing ny YWG, speculates that Dracula Goby may change sex. They buy a pair or three, and one changes in to male (or vice versa). BUT... I am just telling what I'm reading, I in no way claim to be an expert, just trying to help inform. Good luck with your awesome looking Goby. And if you do find a sure fire way to sex your Dracula, please come back and share it with us. Sent from my HTC Liberty using Tapatalk

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
PLEASE check out your intended fish purchases here first!	Sk8r	New to the Hobby	5300	09/09/2011 04:25 PM
How to easily catch a fish !	abezr	Reef Fishes	3	08/18/2011 04:03 PM
Help plan a 300 gallon scorpion tank ( no lion fish allowed )	smellzlikefish	Fish Only & Aggressive Tanks	2	06/21/2011 04:50 PM
Pale Fish -> Dead Fish	desx2501	Fish Disease Treatment	4	10/17/2010 11:38 PM
Fish wish list	travis32	New to the Hobby	16	03/04/2010 03:01 PM